Amsterdam, Nov 17: The Netherlands booked their spot in the last eight of the UEFA Nations League with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Hungary.

A pair of cool first-half penalties from Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo put the hosts in control, with Denzel Dumfries adding a crisp volley shortly after the hour mark.

Substitute Teun Koopmeiners rounded off the scoring late on, directing a looping header from Dumfries' precise cross past visiting goalkeeper Denes Dibusz.

Frenkie de Jong made his return to the Dutch starting lineup after a year, and coach Ronald Koeman also included Weghorst and handed a debut start to Jan Paul van Hecke.

The match at the Johan Cruijff ArenA was briefly interrupted in the opening minutes due to an alarming incident on the Hungarian bench, when staff member Ádám Szalai fell ill. Play was halted temporarily, but it was later confirmed that Szalai's condition had stabilized, allowing the game to resume.

Shortly after the restart, referee Jesús Gil Manzano was called to the sidelines to review a potential penalty for the Netherlands. The penalty was awarded, and Weghorst converted to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead.

Thanks to the medical delay, a significant amount of extra time was added. In that extra time, the Netherlands doubled their advantage when Mario Götze was fouled in the box, allowing Gakpo to score from the penalty spot and make it 2-0.

In the second half, the Netherlands had several chances to extend their lead to 3-0. Wout Weghorst struck the crossbar, and Jurriën Timber also came close to scoring. However, it was Denzel Dumfries who netted the crucial third goal, finishing off a well-executed move involving Cody Gakpo and Javairô Dilrosun.

As the match neared its end, the Dutch made it 4-0. Substitute Jeremie Frimpong played a key role, setting up Dumfries with a well-timed pass. The right-back then delivered a perfect cross for another substitute, Teun Koopmeiners, who headed the ball into the net with precision.

Koopmeiners nearly added a second goal moments later, but his shot hit the crossbar. The match ended 4-0, securing the Netherlands' qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals.

(IANS)

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